Cynthia In Love
by Lucina154
Summary: The title kinda says it all lol Contains Ocs (any similarities to any other characters is purely coincidental)


*** Cynthia and Elena are both 20 years old ***

As the Sinnoh skies continued to send buckets of rain pouring down, a certain blonde haired champion ran towards the brightly lit Pokemon Center. She slowed to a walk once she was safely under its awning, and caught her breath before walking in. She went up to the front desk where she was greeted by Nurse Joy.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center! What can I do for you today?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Are you able to just give my Pokemon a once over?" Cynthia asked.

"Yes, of course." Nurse Joy said as she took the Pokeballs from Cynthia. "Oh my, you're dripping wet. Why don't you have a seat by the fireplace? You can get warm and dry off. There's also tea and coffee on the counter over there. Help yourself to whatever you'd like!"

"Thank you very much." Cynthia said.

She made herself a cup of tea before sitting down in a chair by the fire. She smiled to herself as the warmth hit her face. Her clothes immediately began to dry from the heat of the fire allowing Cynthia to feel much more comfortable. After about 15 minutes, Nurse Joy walked over to Cynthia with her Pokeballs in a tray.

"Everyone is healthy and ready to go." Nurse Joy said with a smile.

"Thank you very much." Cynthia said taking them and putting them back on her belt loop.

"It also looks like the rain has stopped." Nurse Joy told her.

"Oh, that's perfect." Cynthia said standing.

"Have a safe journey!" Nurse Joy called as Cynthia exited the center.

Sure enough, the rain had let up and the dark clouds than once occupied the sky were dissipating. Despite the heavy rain, the path ahead was surprisingly normal. There was minimal mud and only a few puddles here and there. Cynthia was on her way to Canalave City so that she could take a boat out to Full Moon Island. She was studying the legendary Pokemon Cresselia and figured that by going to the island rumored to be it's home, she could get even more research and possibly even meet Cresselia in person.

"Anybody! Please! Can someone please get me out of here!?" Cynthia looked around upon hearing a female voice shouting for help. The voice sounded desperate.

"Hello?" Cynthia called out.

"Oh! Thank goodness… Help is here… I need some help!" the voice responded.

Cynthia followed the girls voice off of the path she was on and into the forest. Finally, she saw a tree with what looked to be rope wrapped around it. Cynthia walked around to the other side of the tree to see a girl was tied to it.

"Hi! Thank you so much for finding me… Could you please untie me?" the girl asked.

"Yes, of course." Cynthia said pulling herself together. "Garchomp! Cut that rope away!"

With a flash of light, Garchomp appeared and cut it effortlessly.

"Thanks so much!" The girl said with a bow. "I owe you one. By the way, my name is Elena. I'm 20 years old and I'm from Snowpoint City. You're Cynthia, right? The Pokemon League Champion?"

Cynthia nodded as she stared at Elena. In Cynthia's opinion, Elena was really pretty. She had strawberry blonde hair that was slightly longer than shoulder length and held beach waves. Her eyes were a bright blue and her skin was spotless. Elena wore a pair of blue jeans with a white T shirt and a small purple vest.

"Anyway, I gotta run. I have to rescue my Pokemon." Elena told her frantically as she ran over to where a backpack was on the ground. She picked up the supplies that had fallen out and put her backpack back on.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you?" Cynthia asked.

"I was on my way to Canalave City with my Pokemon and these thugs came out of nowhere and stole them. There were these two random people and a Meowth that came up to me dressed as an old couple and then all of a sudden they threw a smoke bomb. When the smoke cleared, I was tied to the tree and my Pokemon were all gone!" Elena got more and more upset as she explained the previous events.

"That description sounds awfully familiar…" Cynthia thought to herself. "It couldn't be Team Rocket… could it?"

"I hate to ask this of you because we just met… and I know you're the Champion so you've probably got a lot on your plate… but could you please lend me your strength?" Elena asked sadly. "I no longer have Pokemon of my own to fight them, but I have to rescue my friends… I don't know what I can do…"

Cynthia looked at the girl in front of her. Elena looked as if she was about to cry at the thought of never seeing her Pokemon friends again. Cynthia didn't know what it was about this stranger, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse her pleas for help. Elena seemed to really care about her Pokemon and she for some reason couldn't bear to see her sad like this.

"Elena… Of course I'll come help." Cynthia told her.

Elena just threw herself at Cynthia and before she knew it, Elena was hugging her. Cynthia couldn't hide the blush that found its way to her face.

"Thank you…" Elena whispered.

After a few moments of silence and Elena crying into Cynthia's shoulder, Elena pulled herself together and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry… that was kinda embarrassing. I guess I'm just having kinda a rough day…" Elena giggled.

Cynthia shook her head. "Don't worry about a thing. Anyway, which direction did they go?"

"They had this massive Meowth head hot air balloon and when they flew away, they went that way." Elena explained as she pointed into the distance and right at Mount Coronet.

"They may be hiding in Mount Coronet." Cynthia thought aloud. "However, I can't say for certain. Why don't we head that way and see if we find any leads along the way?"

Elena nodded and the pair began walking. Elena couldn't help but sneak glances at the Champion that walked beside her. The sun's rays danced off of her blonde hair, and her light gray eyes looked so calm despite the situation.

"What kind of Pokemon do you have?" Cynthia asked her.

"I have a Vaporeon, a Glaceon, a Flareon, and a Leafeon!" Elena answered. "We compete in Pokemon Contests."

"A Pokemon Contest?" Cynthia questioned. She didn't quite know what she was expecting her to say, but for some reason she didn't think of Pokemon Contests.

"Yeah. I use my eevee-lutions to get a bunch of different types of Pokemon. It helps my performance and my battling too." Elena explained. "Have you ever done a Pokemon Contest?"

Cynthia nodded. "Once. An old friend from my childhood inspired me to do one once."

"Did you like it? How did it go?" Elena questioned.

"I did have fun with it, I have to admit." Cynthia recalled.

"Did you win?" Elena questioned.

Cynthia gave a slight nod as a response.

"That's so cool! I've only done one gym battle and I kinda got destroyed…" Elena laughed and scratched the back of her head.

Cynthia only chuckled at her.

"Cynthia! I have an idea!"

"Hm?"

"Once I get my Pokemon back, let's enter a contest together!" Elena suggested energetically.

"A contest?" Cynthia repeated. "It's been quite a while since I've competed in one of those."

"I know. But it'll be super fun!" Elena told her. "C'mon… pleaseeeeeeeee?"

Cynthia smiled. "Alright, I will enter the contest with you."

"Promise?"

Cynthia laughed. "I promise."

"YAYY!" Elena celebrated.

Without warning, she jumped towards Cynthia to embrace her in a hug. The impact sent both girls to the ground where Elena landed right on top of Cynthia. The girls made eye contact for a moment and both couldn't hold back a blush.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Elena scrambled off of Cynthia and helped her to stand — all while still blushing madly.

"Don't worry about it!" Cynthia told her. "We're almost to the base of Mount Coronet.

I'm going to send out Garchomp and have her fly around to see if she spots their balloon."

"Sounds good!" Elena nodded.

"Garchomp! Go look for Team Rocket's balloon!" Cynthia announced as she released her Pokemon.

Garchomp nodded before flying off. She returned moments later and pointed her fin in the direction that she saw them.

"Thanks, Garchomp." Cynthia praised. She then turned to Elena. "Let's go!"

The two girls and Garchomp began to make their way up the mountain to where Garchomp had told them to go. They made it to a flatter, more open area and sure enough, they saw the balloon.

"There they are!" Elena whispered pointing.

Vaporeon, Glaceon, Flareon, and Leafeon were all squished into a cage next to Team Rocket who was munching on sandwiches. The 4 Pokemon looked extremely unhappy and uncomfortable.

"My poor Pokemon…" Elena gasped.

"We shouldn't run in recklessly." Cynthia whispered so that Team Rocket couldn't hear them.

"What do we do?" Elena responded.

"I'm thinking maybe a distraction." She turned to Garchomp. "Can you go on the other side and make a scene?"

Garchomp nodded before flying straight up into the air. She landed right in front of Team Rocket's picnic and stamped her foot into the ground — smashing the lunch Team Rocket was enjoying.

"Hey! What's your problem, you oversized blue lizard!" Jesse stamped her feet in protest at Garchomp.

"Grrrrrrr… GAR!" Garchomp let out a powerful roar that caused Team Rocket to scramble backwards against a rock in fear.

"Jess, you've angered it!" James said nervously.

Garchomp stepped forwards menacingly causing Team Rocket to hide behind the rock.

"Maybe if we hide here, it'll go away!" they heard Meowth comment from their hiding spot.

"Sh!" James hushed.

"Now!" Cynthia said softly as she motioned for Elena to start running.

The two girls darted out from their hiding place and began to search the picnic basket for the key to the cages. Garchomp lit up her fin ready to use brick-break to destroy the cage but Cynthia shook her head. It would be really loud. Upon seeing Elena, the Pokemon all began to squeal with delight. Elena put her finger to her lips to try to tell them to be quiet but it was too late. Team Rocket leapt out from behind the rock.

"Hey look! It's that Champion twerp!" Meowth exclaimed as Team Rocket jumped back out from behind the boulder.

"They tricked us! That was her Garchomp and she was distracting us so that other twerp could steal the Pokemon we stole!" Jesse cried angrily.

"That ain't happenin'" Meowth said smirking and revealing a remote control.

He smashed his paw onto the button and a giant robot with long arms came out of the ground.

"Garchomp, smash the cage!" Cynthia commanded as she realized that they were out of time to try to quietly unlock it.

In an instant, the cage was in pieces and Elena's Pokemon leapt to freedom. Flareon jumped into Elena's arms and Elena hugged the Pokemon with a huge smile on her face. She then returned Vaporeon and Leafeon.

"Wait, where's Glaceon?" Elena asked in a panic.

Cynthia looked around and saw the small Pokemon cowering against the mountain. It was cornered.

"Glaceon! Return!" Elena called.

"No ya don't!" James called as a giant mirror came out of the robot to repel the Pokeball's "return" laser. The robot then flung the mirror in Elena's direction.

"Garchomp! Protect Elena!" Cynthia commanded.

"Sorry twerp, but while you get crushed by that mirror, your Glaceon is ours!" Jesse called as she directed one of the robots arms directly at the trembling Glaceon.

The little Pokemon went to run to the left but was met by the mountainside. It turned around to run the other way and was met by the giant robotic hand flying right at its face.

Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over Cynthia. She bolted towards the Glaceon and grabbed it, pushing it out of the way of the robot. "You're not getting Elena's Pokemon!"

"Cynthia, no!" Elena screamed as the robotic arm grabbed Cynthia.

Glaceon scampered over to Elena and hid behind her leg.

"Garchomp! Take down their robot!" Cynthia commanded while struggling to free herself.

"Flareon! Go help Garchomp!" Elena called.

Flareon launched a flamethrower attached at the arm that held Cynthia and soon enough, the metal began to melt away. Meanwhile, Garchomp launched herself at the robot with a powerful giga impact. She made contact with the center of the robot just as the arm completely disattached from the core.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Jesse, James, and Meowth called as they faded from existence.

The massive arm began to fall towards the ground and upon seeing the sight of her trainer still stuck in it's grasp, Garchomp flew over and shredded the robotic arm with brick break before successfully catching Cynthia. Garchomp held her tight as she lowered them both back onto the safety of the ground.

"Thank you so much, Garchomp." Cynthia thanked her Pokemon for saving her life and for helping defeat Team Rocket.

Elena came bounding over and threw herself at Cynthia — hugging her. Cynthia reciprocated the hug and couldn't help but feel a blush make its way to her cheeks. When Cynthia thought the hug was over, she let go, but then realized that Elena had her head buried into her shoulder. Elena was trembling ever so slightly.

"Elena? Are you alright?" Cynthia asked.

Elena finally pulled away from the hug and looked at Cynthia. It was then that Cynthia realized Elena was crying. Her bright blue eyes were brimming with tears and her cheeks were flushed.

"Were you injured?" Cynthia asked slightly panicked.

"I… I'm fine! I was so worried about you! When that giant robot thing got you I … I didn't know what I could do! I thought Team Rocket was going to run off with you or crush you to death!" Elena sputtered.

Cynthia only gave a gentle smile. "There was no need to worry about me. I was only making sure Glaceon got back to you safe and sound — which he did."

"That was stupid! You could've gotten so hurt and that was so reckless and…"

"Elena." Cynthia cut her off by putting her hand up. She then looked her in the eyes and smiled gently. "It's ok. It all ended up perfectly alright in the end. Did it not?"

"It did…"

"Exactly. That's all that matters." Cynthia knelt down and patted Glaceon's head gently. The small Pokemon looked up at Cynthia and smiled at her.

Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "You're right… I'm sorry for getting so worked up."

"It's really nothing to apologize for. It shows that you truly do care for your friends." Cynthia said.

"I really should be thanking you for helping me out there. And Glaceon says thank you as well!" Elena gave a small bow of respect.

The two began to make their way down the side of Mount Coronet right as the sun began to set. They could see Oreburgh City in the vicinity and they both smiled.

"What are you going to do now?" Elena asked.

"I'm on my way to Canalave City. I am taking a boat from there to Full Moon Island to do some research."

"You do research?"

"Yes. I absolutely love studying and learning about Sinnoh's legendaries. The history of Dialga and Palkia… and how time and space began."

"That's so cool. I've never really thought too much about that."

"It truly is fascinating. Reading and studying the language of the Unknown has revealed so much and with each trip to the ruins I can find out more about the history of our world… and the history of the Pokemon that began it all."

Elena smiled to herself as she watched Cynthia talk. Cynthia didn't show many emotions, but her voice held a hint of excitement behind it and her gray eyes sparkled with passion and determination. The rays of the setting sun danced through her golden hair and it gave the illusion that Cynthia was glowing. At that moment, Elena thought Cynthia was a goddess.

"Elena?"

Her voice was so incredibly smooth and calming. When she spoke to her Garchomp, there was no demanding tone. She commanded her Pokemon with a clear and confident voice, but at the same time, she was asking them gently. She didn't sound bossy like some trainers did, and she didn't sound like she was barking out orders to someone lower than her. No. Her Pokemon respected her and _wanted_ to follow her every word.

"Elena?"

"Wha— AHHHH!" Elena cried out as she stumbled. Luckily, she caught herself and rebalanced herself.

"Are you alright?" Cynthia asked with a slight chuckle. "You just zoned out for quite some time."

Elena scratched the back of her head nervously and sweat dropped. "Oops… I'm sorry! IwaslisteningtoyouIswearIjustwasthinkinghowgorgeousyouare…" Elena's face dropped as soon as she realized what she said.

"I see." Cynthia responded trying to ignore Elena's comment. It would probably embarrass Elena if she reacted because it sounded like it was a slip up. "Anyway, you are going to Canalave as well, are you not?"

"Hm? I am!" Elena responded. "_I wonder… did she not hear me?"_

"Your next Pokemon Contest, correct?" Cynthia asked.

Elena nodded and smiled. "You remembered!"

"Of course. I was going to ask you — would you want to travel the rest of the way with me?"

"Wait… do you mean it!?" Elena exclaimed.

"Of course I do. We're friends, right?" Cynthia asked.

"Wow… I never thought I would be friends with the Sinnoh Champion!' Elena smiled brightly.

"Let's get to Oreburgh for the night. We can spend the night in the Pokemon Center and then in the morning I'll rent a car and we can drive the rest of the way to Canalave." Cynthia told Elena.

"Sounds good." Elena said as they continued walking towards the lights of Oreburgh City. "Hey, Cynthia?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't forget about our promise, did you?"

"About the Pokemon Contest?"

"Oh, good! You remember!" Elena said happily. "Um, you don't actually have to enter if you don't want to. I don't want to force you to do something that you don't want to do."

"I think it'll be fun to try." Cynthia responded. "And a promise is a promise."

"Do you have a Contest Outfit?" Elena asked.

"Hm… Now that I think about it, no. I think when I entered as a child I wore whatever I was wearing that day." Cynthia recalled.

"Can we stop in Jubilife? It'll be so fun to shop with you! I can help you pick one out too… if you want to."

Cynthia nodded. "I think it would be a good idea. I don't have anything to perform in. From what I hear, Contests have become much more popular now. Coordinators usually wear fancy costumes now?"

"Mmhmm." Without thinking, Elena grabbed Cynthia's hand. "I can't wait." she whispered.

One day later, Cynthia and Elena could see Jubilife City. Having access to the car made the trip go much quicker.

"Where do we shop for costumes?" Cynthia asked. "You're the expert on this, so I'll just follow you wherever."

"I know a good store. It's actually a store made especially for coordinators! You can park in that lot there and we can walk over." Elena said, pointing to a large parking lot.

Cynthia paid for the parking space for a few hours and the two girls began to make their way towards the store. A few people recognized Cynthia on the way there and she happily signed a few autographs as well. When they made it to the storefront, Elena was grinning uncontrollably. Elena ran up to the window and her eyes sparkled as she looked at the outfits on display.

"Wow! It's Aratie's newest collection!" Elena beamed.

"Aratie?" Cynthia questioned.

Elena nodded. "She's a famous designer. I love her costumes. One day I'm going to own one!"

Cynthia was about to question what she meant by own one when she saw the price tag on the mannequin. The dress was $500 alone. The shoes, headpiece, and matching jewelry were another $300. Cynthia did have to admit the outfit was incredibly well made and was stunning.

"Let's go in!" Elena said practically pulling Cynthia inside.

The inside of the store screamed feminine. The walls were painted a cotton candy pink with baby blue moldings. There was a tall, lush, lavender colored ottoman in the back with 3 dressing rooms on either side. In the center of the back wall was a massive, full length mirror. It curved in so that one could see themselves from a side view as well. Racks and racks of clothing were neatly hung and organized around the room and there was an accent wall to the right with a huge flat screen TV. The TV played a montage of fashion shows, past Pokemon Contests, and headshots from famous coordinators. To the left, was a plain wall with spotlights shining down on 2 mannequins. One of them held the outfit from the window and the other held a different, yet equally formal outfit. They were mounted on a stage with red ropes surrounding them.

"This store is so nice." Cynthia commented.

"Yes! I absolutely love coming here." Elena told her.

"Welcome to Coordinator Corner, where you'll find everything you need to look your best on your Contest day! My name is Issy! Do you need any help today?" a girl asked from behind.

Cynthia turned around to see someone who she assumed was an employee. Issy looked like a model. Her bright blue hair was straightened and fell perfectly around her shoulders. Her matching eyes had soft purple eye shadow around them and her eyeliner was on point with a perfectly shaped wing. Her cheeks had the slightest bit of blush on them and her lips were a baby pink. Her voice was smooth and had a calming tone to it when she spoke.

"Oh! I wasn't expecting to see the Sinnoh Champion here! Welcome, Cynthia!" Issy said with a bow of respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine!' Cynthia said with a smile.

"And ooh Elena! Good to see you again!" Issy gave Elena a hug. "I didn't recognize you from behind! It's been too long!"

"Good to see you too, Issy! I need a new costume…" Elena told her.

"Are you entering the Canalave Contest?"

"Yes! Cynthia is too!" Elena said with a wide grin.

Issy quickly grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her behind a rack of costumes. She leaned really close to her. "Is that your new girlfriend!? Are you dating the Sinnoh Champ!?" she whispered.

Elena felt her face turn bright red. "N-no no no! We are just friends!" Elena stammered clearly growing flustered.

Issy chuckled. "You can't lie, you know. You totally like her."

Elena pouted. "I do… but that doesn't mean anything! Me? With the Sinnoh Champion? Please. Like that would ever happen." Elena stood back up.

"I'm not quite sure these outfits are quite my style…" Cynthia commented as she glanced at all of the brightly colored dresses. "And I've never really been one for dresses unless it's a gala or something…"

"Guaranteed we'll find you something. What color were you looking for?" Issy asked,

"Black."

"You got it. I'll be back with a few options. In the meantime, Elena, start trying stuff on!" Issy said disappearing into the maze of clothing racks.

"See anything you like?" Cynthia asked.

"I do. I'm going to grab a few things. If I try them on, will you let me know what you think?" Elena asked.

"Of course." Cynthia said with a smile.

Cynthia went to take a seat on the ottoman outside the dressing rooms. A few moments later, Elena walked by with a handful of costumes to try on. She closed herself into a dressing room and when she walked out, Cynthia couldn't keep her smile to herself. Elena looked adorable in the sparkly purple costume. However, even though she was cute, it seemed like an immature costume for someone her age.

"Hm… I don't know how I feel about this one." Elena commented as she stepped in front of the mirror.

"May I be honest?" Cynthia asked. Cynthia continued upon seeing her nod. "I think it's a bit immature."

"I agree." Elena said disappearing back into the dressing room.

The next costume was pink and even though Elena looked great, the pink just didn't look good with her strawberry blonde hair.

"I have an idea." Cynthia said standing.

She soon returned with a bagged costume on a hanger.

"Is that… is that one of the Aratie pieces!?" Elena stuttered.

"Yes. I want you to try it on." Cynthia told her as she handed her the hanger.

"I can't afford to buy it though, why would I try it on?"

"Trust me."

When Elena reappeared from the dressing room, Cynthia had to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. The Aratie costume looked stunningly beautiful on Elena. The aqua fabric made Elena's eyes pop while at the same time complimenting her hair. The dress was short with soft white ruffles at the bottom and a gold trim and the top had matching golden strings that weaved across the chest. Elena had fastened a silver headband into her hair to match the outfit.

"I love that on you." Cynthia told her with a smile.

"I've never felt so pretty before!" Elena said as she stared at herself in the mirror. "The fabric is so comfortable too…"

"Oh, wow! That looks fabulous!" Issy said as she appeared in the dressing room.

"Cynthia picked it for me." Elena told her.

"Cynthia, try this one on. I think it will suit you well." Issy said handing her a costume that was covered by a protective plastic bag.

Cynthia took the outfit and went into the dressing room. When she revealed it, she smiled. It was right up her alley. Of course it was black, but it looked elegant as well. She slipped the cool fabric onto her body and stepped out to see how she looked in the mirror.

"Woah… Cynthia! You-you… you look incredible…" Elena couldn't even get her voice above a whisper.

Cynthia couldn't help but smile as she studied her reflection. It was a black, backless rosetic asymmetrical dress that stopped about mid thigh. The fabric had a hint of sparkle to it but not so much that it was distracting. Only when she moved in certain ways, the dress would glisten. She fastened a matching black hair clip into her hair to complete the piece.

"I think that you'll steal the show in that." Issy told Cynthia.

"Very well. We'll take both outfits." Cynthia said.

"I need to pick a different one actually… I can't afford this one." Elena said with hidden sadness to her voice even though her face held a smile.

"It's on me." Cynthia said handing Issy money. "Get changed and then let's go. We should be able to get to Canalave by dark."

Once the girls were changed and in the car, Elena turned to Cynthia.

"I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to repay you for buying me that outfit." Elena told her.

"As I mentioned before, there's no need to repay me for anything. That costume suited you perfectly. And you're my friend Elena. I may not have known you long, but you smiled like I've never seen a person smile before in that dress. You were beaming."

"Thank you… I appreciate it." Elena said redirecting her attention back on the road ahead.

Every once in a while she would sneak a glance at Cynthia as she drove. She was always so calm and so focused and Elena could feel butterflies in her stomach every time she looked at Cynthia. Everything about her just seemed so perfect and the time she spent with Cynthia meant the world to her. Elena closed her eyes and pictured Cynthia in her Contest costume. She couldn't stop thinking about how perfect she was in every aspect. Elena's eyes snapped open when the terrifying truth of her situation occurred to her. She was falling in love with the Sinnoh Champion.

The next morning, Cynthia woke before the sun. Elena was still fast asleep in the Pokemon Center room they had rented, but Cynthia had no time for sleeping. The Pokemon Contest was that day, yet she had absolutely no routine prepared. The drive ended up taking longer than expected when they had to save a group of young trainers from getting their Pokemon stolen from Team Rocket. The original plan was to practice that evening, but clearly that plan did not happen.

"Milotic! Come forth!" she called as she released her Pokemon. "It's been quite a while, but what do you say we enter a Pokemon Contest?" Cynthia asked her Pokemon.

Milotic gave a quiet squeal of delight — happy to show off it's beauty.

"Remember, this is a Pokemon Contest, not a battle. We aren't going for pure strength this time." Cynthia reminded the Pokemon who nodded. "Now… what to do…" Cynthia thought about how she could make her Pokemon's moves shine. "Use hydro pump, but direct it in an upward spiral."

Milotic did as she was told and soon enough, a powerful stream of water was spiraling above Milotic. She held it steady as the water rushed around above.

"Great. Why don't we try to freeze it now with an ice beam?" Cynthia thought aloud.

Milotic did exactly as she was told and soon enough, the hydro pump spiral was completely frozen. It towered high above Cynthia, and the spirals gave it a majestic shape that sparkled at every twist and turn. Cynthia admired the ice sculpture as she stared up at it. Now she needed a way to make it shatter, but with a bang.

"Dragon tail to break it apart!" Cynthia called.

Milotic's tail glowed a bright purple as she leapt up into the air. Once she was above the ice sculpture, she flew back down the center of the ice and allowed her tail to scrape against the ice. She landed gracefully on the ground as the ice shattered above her into fine blue and purple crystals. The crystals danced around Cynthia and Milotic as they posed.

"That was pretty." Cynthia commented and she patted Milotic gently on her head. "Good work."

The sun had just begun to rise, giving the Earth around the duo a bright yellow highlight. Cynthia looked at Milotic and had another idea.

"Milotic, I'd like to try something else out as well."

Milotic went back to the center of the field and waited for a command from her trainer.

"Aqua ring!" Cynthia called.

Milotic surrounded herself with a delicate veil of water. Upon Cynthia's command, she used an extremely weak hydro pump attack and kept it inside the veil. Shen then quickly transitioned to a whirlwind attack. The purple twister caused the veil to explode, sending the water spiraling into the surrounding area. Due to the color of the whirlwind, the water closest to Milotic was a deep purple, but as the water spiraled away, it faded into a light blue. The droplets caught the sunlight and made the scene all the more magical. Cynthia praised her Pokemon again and smiled. She knew what she would do for the contest.

Cynthia and Elena were just finishing putting on their accessories for the Contest when they heard the announcer begin his introduction.

"We're entries 24 and 25. We have plenty of time, but I did want to watch." Elena explained as she fastened the silver headband in her hair. "By the way… what are you going to do with your Pokemon? I never actually saw you practice."

"I planned it this morning. I woke before sunrise to learn it." Cynthia explained.

"I look forward to seeing it."

"And I look forward to seeing you perform. I'm so excited to see you in action." Cynthia said with a genuine smile. "It's clear that Pokemon Contests are your passion."

Elena stared at Cynthia. She looked so regal and professional in the costume and she was perfectly calm despite it being her first Contest since childhood. She found herself admiring Cynthia more and more just by staring at her.

"_I've never felt this sort of passion for another person." _Elena thought. "Cynthia, I just want to say… I'm really glad it was you who helped me out that day in the forest. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I had never met you." _"Is that where these feelings began…?"_

"Elena." Cynthia said her name. "When every life meets another life, something will be born."

"Something will be born?" Elena repeated.

Cynthia nodded and gave her a knowing smile as if she just read Elena's thoughts.

"Elena, up in 5! Cynthia in 6! " the manager called.

The two girls made their way to the backstage area. A boy was just finishing up his performance with his Raichu. When he exited, they began to announce Elena.

"Give it everything you've got." Cynthia told her.

Elena gave a thumbs up before running out in front of the crowd. Elena struck a pose before pulling out her Pokeball. She tossed it up into the air and her Leafeon appeared. The Pokemon landed in front of Elena and the two struck another pose.

"Now, Leafeon! Let's start this off with magical leaf!" Elena called.

Leafeon summoned deep green leaves that were glowing the colors of the rainbow. The leaves swirled around the stage and surrounded Leafeon. Elena and Leafeon twirled around in perfect synchronization as they performed a little dance.

"Now use solar beam!" Elena called with a smile.

"Leaffffffeeeeeooonnnnn!" Leafeon squealed as it released a powerful solar beam and the rainbow leaves were all obliterated in a gentle while light until all that was left was shimmering rainbow sparkles. As the sparkles fell to the ground, Leafeon did a flip and landed at Elena's feet and together they took a bow. The crowd erupted in cheers as Elena and Leafeon waved to them. They walked off stage and the backstage manager motioned that it was Cynthia's turn.

"Last but not least, we have a special Coordinator competing here today! It's none other than our own Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia!"

Cynthia ran out on stage and smiled at the crowd. She grabbed her Pokeball and threw it into the air with a spin.

"Milotic, shine on!" She called with a smile.

Elena stood back stage and watched as Cynthia called out her Milotic. She looked absolutely stunning in her costume. The crowd gasped as Cynthia's Milotic appeared on-stage. It was the most well-groomed Milotic Elena had ever seen — even more impressive than Wallace's. The Pokemon landed in front of Cynthia and waited for a command.

"Milotic, use aqua ring!" Cynthia commanded.

Milotic surrounded itself in a delicate veil of water. The shine from the spotlights danced across the surface of the water.

"Now use hydropump!" Cynthia said.

Milotic released a weak hydro pump attack and allowed the streams of water to swirl inside the veil. Milotic flew gracefully around the stage as the audience "ooh-ed and ahh-ed" at the sight of the beautiful Pokemon.

"Now finish it up with whirlwind!" Cynthia called with her smile growing bigger.

Milotic flew straight into the air and released a whirlwind attack. The purple wind pushed the veil and the hydropump away from Milotic's body and the water faded into purple. Milotic landed behind Cynthia and curled around her so that she was standing in the middle. At that point, the veil had shattered, and the water droplets fell gently around Cynthia and Milotic as they took a bow.

"She looks like she's been doing this forever!" someone said from behind Elena.

"That was incredible…" Elena said in awe.

Cynthia waved and walked off the stage as the judges began to scribble notes on their clipboards. Elena ran up to her and hugged her.

"That was incredible!" Elena exclaimed.

"You as well. Your Leafeon was impressive. That solar beam and magical leaf combination created such a beautiful sight." Cynthia complimented.

"Cynthia…" Elena said as she stared at her. "I have no words."

"What do you mean?" Cynthia asked.

"I can't hide it anymore." Elena took a deep breath and stared into Cynthia's eyes. Her gray eyes were filled with curiosity and a slight bit of concern. But also, Elena could see warmth, kindness, compassion, and determination. "Cynthia, I only knew you for a short period of time. But I have feelings for you."

"Feelings?" Cynthia asked as her facial expression changed to surprise.

"I want to be more than friends." Elena said staring at the floor and blushing.

"I-"

Before Cynthia could finish her sentence, the announcer ran to the center of the stage

and all of the screens backstage lit up.

"We have the contestants that will be moving on to the second round!" She called. "Here they are!"

The screens above which had once depicted face down cards began to change. The

cards flipped one by one, revealing the faces of the contestants that the judges had deemed worthy of continuing on. The first card flipped was Cynthia's face, but Elena's face had not yet been revealed. Elena took Cynthia's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as a subtle congratulations. Elena held her breath as the final card flipped over; and when her face was shown, she let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" Cynthia told Elena.

"You too!" Elena smiled. The joy of being chosen to continue had caused Elena to

forget all about the confession of love she had begun.

"Next is the battle phase, right?" Cynthia questioned.

"Yes. You're going to be impossible to beat."

Cynthia frowned. "We can't assume anything yet."

"Don't try to be modest." a voice said from behind.

Cynthia and Elena spun around and found them face to face with another girl in a deep purple costume. She looked to be slightly younger.

"And you are?" Elena questioned.

"It doesn't matter. Clearly the Champion will be the winner here as well." The girl

said with irritation in her voice. "Any attacks we throw will be dodged or blocked with ease. Your Pokemon won't even take a scratch from our attacks. You'll steal all of our points without even trying."

Cynthia did not respond. She thought about what the girl was saying, and she was most certainly correct. She could try to be modest all she wanted but it wouldn't change the truth. She held the title of Champion for a reason and even if she didn't have the flashiest or prettiest attacks, her Pokemon were much stronger than the other competitors Pokemon. No matter how hard they tried, they would not be able to KO her Milotic. If she tried to play around, it would seem that she was belittling her opponents and letting them win. Cynthia smiled to herself. It was fun playing coordinator for the day, but her time to fool around was over. Trainers spent their lives training and practicing for these moments. She had been in their shoes — but on the Pokemon League side. She knew this girl's feelings. They waited weeks to show off what they had put their blood, sweat, and tears into learning. The bonds they shared with their Pokemon is what put them on this stage to begin with. These contestants were serious. This was their future and their goal. Who was she to interrupt people chasing their dreams so she could fool around? Cynthia snapped out of her thoughts to hear Elena getting fired up.

"Maybe she just wants —"

Cynthia cut Elena off by putting her hand on her shoulder. Cynthia shook her head slightly at Elena before looking at the girl.

"You've worked hard to get here with your Pokemon, haven't you?" Cynthia asked the

girl kindly.

The girls face shifted from annoyance to surprise at Cynthia's kindness. "Yes. My goal is to become the Top Coordinator. My Pokemon and I travel around Sinnoh and we compete in every Contest we can so we can get to the Grand Festival."

Cynthia nodded at her. "You and your Pokemon have bonded well."

"You watched us?" the girl asked in shock.

Cynthia nodded and smiled. "You and your Drifblim really caught the attention of the audience. The way you use those ghost type attacks to create an air of mystery was wonderful."

"Wow… you really did watch…" the girl gasped. The girl then hung her head as if in shame. "I-I'm sorry, Cynthia. I really let my anger get out of control and I guess I took my frustration out on you. I just really want to make it to the Grand Festival…"

Cynthia shook her head. "Don't worry at all. You're right, you know. Your determination reminds me of my own." she laughed lightly.

"What are you going to do, Cynthia?" Elena asked worriedly.

"I am going to watch from the audience." Cynthia responded simply. "I'm so glad I got to experience this with Milotic. She's always been elegant in her movements, but I never knew her attacks could look so gorgeous. I've worked with Milotic for years, yet I've never seen this side of her. It just goes to show that one truly never stops learning."

"Wow… you're a great Champion." the girl said softly.

"Might I ask your name?" Cynthia asked.

"Lia."

"Lia, I wish you and your Pokemon the best of luck." Cynthia said with a smile.

Lia thanked Cynthia before scampering away to meet up with her friends. Elena's face was flushed and she looked frustrated.

"I know what's going through your mind." Cynthia said as she looked at Elena. "And we will talk. But for now, I need you to go out and finish this contest."

"Cynthia… you ask that of me… but I wanted to do this with you! I wanted you to compete with me and… and I wanted to show you the fun of contest life…" Elena's face grew more flushed with every word. Her eyes brimmed with tears and her breath became choppy.

"And there's reasons that I can't."

Elena took a few more deep breaths before composing herself before nodding. She didn't know why she just freaked out.

"I will be in the audience watching. Finish your contest. We'll talk later." Cynthia told her with a smile on her face.

Elena stared at Cynthia as she smiled. It was a genuine smile filled with pure joy. Cynthia wasn't lying. She did have fun in the contest and she did enjoy herself. Then, unable to control herself for any longer, Elena closed the gap between the two of them. Elena couldn't believe she had just acted so boldly, but all of her worries faded when Cynthia returned the kiss. When Cynthia pulled away, Elena was expecting her to say something. When Cynthia said nothing, Elena spoke.

"I'll win this. For both of us." Elena said with determination in her voice.

Cynthia waited outside the venue for Elena after the contest had ended. The sun was just beginning to set which gave the Contest grounds a warm, orange glow. Cynthia had changed out of her costume hours ago as soon as she dropped out. Finally, she saw Elena running towards her with the brightest smile on her face.

"Hey! Congratulations!" Cynthia greeted her.

Elena pulled out her newly won Contest ribbon and showed it to Cynthia. It was

lavender with a beautiful gold crown shaped medal in the center. However, Elena's smile soon faded. Cynthia knew that it was time for them to discuss whatever Elena had on her mind.

"I wanted to talk to you." Elena finally said.

"I know what I'm about to say might be a bit jarring, but please... will you hear me out?" Elena asked nervously

"Of course."

Elena took a deep breath and looked directly into Cynthia's eyes before beginning. "Cynthia, you are the most beautiful person I've ever met in my life and I don't mean just physical beauty alone. You're kind. Compassionate. Selfless. Yet at the same time, you have a strength I've seen in no one else. You treat your Pokémon with the utmost respect and you view them as friends. You are in a position where if you wanted to, you could be conceited and cocky and nobody would say a thing because you have strength to back that up. But you're not. You've been the Champion for what… 10 years but you've remained humble and kind and you don't take advantage of other people. Your smile is genuine and though your face may stay neutral most of the time, you speak volumes with your eyes. They sparkle with pure joy when you talk about Sinnoh's legends or when your battling and just seeing you do what you're passionate about makes me so happy inside. And of course you are physically gorgeous as well. But that's just a bonus on top of all these other things you have going for you. What I said the other day... I meant it. I have feelings for you. And I would like to be more than friends. I... I love you... I fell for you ever since you saved me that day..." Elena told Cynthia.

When she was done speaking, she took a deep breath. Of course, she saw no emotions on Cynthia's face, but she did see that she had Cynthia's full attention. "If you don't feel the same way, I fully respect that... but I really do hope we could remain friends... I can't imagine my life without you in it in some way, shape, or form." Elena added.

Cynthia had a gentle smile on her face as she stared right back into Elena's eyes. "Do you remember what I told you the other day?"

Elena was a bit taken back. She had just spilled her heart to Cynthia, and she didn't even bat an eyelash about it. She decided to go along with it. "Um… When every life… meets another life…?"

Cynthia nodded. "Something will be born." Cynthia paused for a moment to look at the sunset before redirecting her gaze back at Elena who awaited the words that Cynthia would say. Cynthia continued, "When we met, there's no denying that there was something born in that moment. These romantic feelings that we both share."

"Wait… share? You… feel the same way?" Elena gasped as her heart skipped a beat.

"I do." Cynthia told her as her smile grew. "Elena… if you'd have me, I'd like it very much if we could… date." Cynthia blushed ever so slightly as she said the last word.

Elena wished she could freeze this moment and keep the image in her mind forever. Cynthia's hair shimmered and the light of the sunset danced through her hair as a slight breeze blew. Her gray eyes seemed almost silver for some reason, and her cheeks were slightly pink from blushing.

"I would love to be your girlfriend!" Elena exclaimed as a tear of joy fell from her eye. "Promise me that you'll not leave me!"

"I promise." Cynthia responded.

"Wait, you didn't actually have to promise." Elena laughed.

"A promise is a promise." Cynthia told her.

Without thinking, Cynthia grabbed Elena's waist and pulled her close to her. She then leaned forward and kissed her. Elena was taken by surprise but as soon as she realized what was happening, she wrapped her arms around Cynthia's neck and returned the kiss. When the two pulled away, they gazed into each others eyes and locked hands as they began to walk away from the contest hall.

"May I come with you to FullMoon Island with you?" Elena asked as they walked.

"I'll be studying Sinnoh's legends there. I'd love the company, but I don't want to force you to come."

Elena smiled and shook her head. "You entered a Pokemon Contest with me. And you cheered me on rather than leaving for your own work. It's my turn to support you. You have such a passion for Sinnoh's history. I wish I could say I had something I felt that way about. Please. I want to learn about what makes you smile so much… as cheesy as that sounds."

Cynthia nodded and the two girls exchanged smiles. "I would love to show you my passions."

"Then let's head to the docks first thing tomorrow morning." Elena said excitedly. "I look forward to sharing this future with you as we uncover the secrets of the past."

Cynthia smiled to herself as she walked hand in hand with Elena. As she walked, she realized she was no longer alone on her journey. Elena saw her for her and she did not treat her differently because she was the Champion. Many called her a history geek. Many called her a friend. All called her a Champion. Only one called her "girlfriend."


End file.
